


What is an Epilogue but a Prologue?

by madcapdragonshenanigans



Series: An Expanding Universe [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, This is minor intellectual angst via pearl, and then fluff, can stand alone, epilogue to I remember the universe, i think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-23
Updated: 2018-04-23
Packaged: 2019-04-26 18:04:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14407539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madcapdragonshenanigans/pseuds/madcapdragonshenanigans
Summary: The Crystal Gems meet their newest family member.Set in the same time line as, and about five years after “I Remember the Universe.”





	What is an Epilogue but a Prologue?

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the epilogue! Hope you like it!

“Garnet, Garnet... Garnet...” Pearl watched as Garnet paced back and forth. She turned to Amethyst, who was staring at the floor with more concentration than Pearl had ever seen her apply to anything. “Amethyst, help me out here!” she hissed.

“Can’t dude. I’m in about the same state.” Amethyst hugged her knees.

Pearl bit her thumb. She’d just got Garnet’s hand glitch. This hadn’t happened in a while, not like this. Garnet had only unfused deliberately ever since... well...

“It’ll be okay,” Pearl reached out to touch Garnet’s shoulder, but as she did, the larger gem glowed, and then separated.

“What if this is like Rose?” Ruby all but shouted, her feet melting the plastic covering on the linoleum floor of the hospital waiting room.

“I can’t see... the future is dark. There’s nothing... I can’t...” Sapphire was crying.

“Okay, nope, they are doing way worse,” Amethyst said, scooting closed to Pearl.

“It’s going to be alright,” Pearl said, scooping both Ruby and Sapphire into her lap. She didn’t believe herself, but maybe getting the words out would convince all of them. “Connie’s 100% human, and Steven’s 50% human, so statistically speaking, their child should be 75% human, which means we’re not in danger of losing either of them!”

Of course, it was more complicated than that. When Connie and Steven had come down from the lighthouse (after Reynaldo had abandoned it, the gems and Steven and Connie had refurbished it, and it was now the Maheswaran-Universe house) and showed the gems the positive pregnancy test, Pearl had immediately begun a self guided course in human genetics and biology. Needless to say, statistical probability was only a minor factor. Genetics took statistics and said, “that’s so funny!” and did as it wanted regardless.

But Pearl wasn’t going to say any of that to the assembled gems. Neither she, Garnet, or Amethyst had even mentioned the possibility of losing either half of Stevonnie to the extended gem family. They were all happily planning an emerging shower at Peridot and Lapis’s farm, and Pearl hoped they wouldn’t have to crush their happiness. She’d have to explain the concept of birth to them, but that was a situation that included chalkboards, not tears.

Pearl wrapped her arms around Ruby, Sapphire, and Amethyst. If she could just hold this much of her family together, maybe the rest would be okay too. She couldn’t lose anyone else. They couldn’t lose anyone else.

This close to achieving peace?

This close to putting an end to it all?

Pearl let her tears leak out. If she lost Steven... if she lost Connie... then what was the war even for? What were the constant political negotiations for?

A voice, deep inside her, spoke.

_‘Peace is never in vain.’_

Pearl’s eyes shot open.

“Everything is alright.”

This time, she believed herself.

Footsteps echoed across the linoleum and empty hall. A nurse appeared.

“I’m look for Pearl, Garnet, and Amethyst?”

The four drew away from each other slightly, and Pearl wiped her eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Garnet reform. The nurse didn’t even blink.

They were led to room 107, and the nurse let them in.

Connie lay in the bed, looking incredibly tired. Steven sat in the chair next to her, looking much the same. In Connie’s arm’s was a tiny, tiny baby.

“Oh my gosh!” Pearl’s eyes swam, joy filling her with light. She rushed to the bed. “You’re both here, you’re alright! She’s alright! He’s alright? Who cares!”

“Good job Connie,” Garnet said, coming to stand by Connie’s shoulder.

“You named em’ after me right?” Amethyst said, peaking over the foot of the bed.

Both Connie and Steven laughed.

“Dad asked the same thing,” Steven said.

“My mom asked if I named her after my grandmother,” Connie said, rolling her eyes.

“So, she’s a girl?” Pearl asked, clarifying.

Steven and Connie nodded.

“She’s beautiful,” Garnet said, her visor disappearing with a sparkle.

“So, what’s her name!” Amethyst was obviously growing impatient.

Connie and Steven smiled at each other, then at the gems.

“We named her after her gem,” Steven said, pulling away the yellow blanket to reveal the purple and orange rectangular gemstone on the newborn’s tummy.

“Ametrine Alexandrite Quartz Maheswaran-Universe,” Connie said, tickling Ametrine’s tummy.

Pearl clasped her hands to her mouth. “You named... you named her after-after all three of us?”

“Of course!” Connie and Steven said in unison.

“Would you like to hold her?” Connie asked.

Pearl nodded and held out her arms, pulling Ametrine close when the weight settled on her.

“Oh... oh my...” Pearl was crying, but that was okay. She knew it was good.

Garnet was by her side, hand on her shoulder, Amethyst had snuck up to her hip, her eyes level with the baby’s head.

“How ‘bout a song?” Steven asked, pulling out his ukulele.

“Always,” Garnet answered for the group.

Steven began with a stein of G major. “We, are the crystal gems, we always save the day!”

“And if you think we can’t,” Connie sang. “We’ll-“

“-always find a way!” The five sang together.

“That’s why the people of this world-“ Steven strummed two Bs.

“Believe in,” sang Garnet. “Garnet-“

“-Amethyst-“

“-and Pearl-“

Steven strummed the final G.

“And Ame!”

**Author's Note:**

> Questions, comments, concerns? Existential crises? Emotional outbursts? Derogatory remarks?


End file.
